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| Photo by Doug Mein 1975 |
The Peninsular was once "owned" by the Sarawak Shell Company Ltd (via a concessionary). and the Miri Hospital was actually part of Shell administration. It was given to the government in 1960 alongside with a lot of other Shell properties like quarters for the staff and other buildings forming part of the hosptial complex.
The hospital on the Peninsular had beautiful tropical styled bungalows for doctors and two blocks of concrete flats for nurses. Years ago, nursing sisters wore flapping caps and when they walked to the hospital they looked very pretty and regal.
Many local people would even go to the hospital using their own sampan from the kampong or the fish market. Some sampan owners made a bit of money ferrying passengers across the river. In fact I was told some even depended on these fares for a living especially when teachers and students needed to cross the Miri river to go to the Pulau Melayu Primary School. Most of the sampan men were Chinese.
Those with cars would drive all the way to the Piasau Bridge to the Peninsular or use the Ferry. One of the ferries was called The Nightingale.
1989 I was transferred to teach in Kolej Tuanku Haji Bujang (formerly Tanjong Lobang School) after having taught 14 years in Sibu's Methodist School. It was a difficult time for me as my young son was just ll months old and there were many challenges both academically and socially.
One of the duties I had to carry out as a teacher was to coach students hockey. One day a girl was hurt and I had to send her to the hospital. It was not easy to cross the river using the ferry. And the girls in my car who were accompanying us were a little frantic. One of them had never been on a ferry. I thought she was going to faint. Then I would have two girls who needed medical attention on my hands.
It was already six p.m. and I knew the hospital staff would be changing shift. We waited for our turn to see the Medical Assistant or MA. We used the public phone to call the school and my home. We waited until 8 and the girl was finally treated. All of us were hungry.
Well that was the kind of patience we needed to have. We had some fried noodles in a small shop and by the time we got back to school it was nearly 10 p.m.. I was fortunate to have Anna Chong to help me look after my children. Coming home as late as that, without any handphone messages (none in those days) to help ease the tension, I was really guilty. But the kids were all asleep and I was glad to be able to take my bath and settle down to some lesson preparation for the next day.
School teachers continue to carry out a lot of duties especially in a boarding school. It was a great balancing act for me I remember. Some sacrifices were made here and there and I hope my own children can understand that I often had to put my career first.
Today the hospital is no longer there . The new Miri Hospital is sited at Lopeng now.
1989 I was transferred to teach in Kolej Tuanku Haji Bujang (formerly Tanjong Lobang School) after having taught 14 years in Sibu's Methodist School. It was a difficult time for me as my young son was just ll months old and there were many challenges both academically and socially.
One of the duties I had to carry out as a teacher was to coach students hockey. One day a girl was hurt and I had to send her to the hospital. It was not easy to cross the river using the ferry. And the girls in my car who were accompanying us were a little frantic. One of them had never been on a ferry. I thought she was going to faint. Then I would have two girls who needed medical attention on my hands.
It was already six p.m. and I knew the hospital staff would be changing shift. We waited for our turn to see the Medical Assistant or MA. We used the public phone to call the school and my home. We waited until 8 and the girl was finally treated. All of us were hungry.
Well that was the kind of patience we needed to have. We had some fried noodles in a small shop and by the time we got back to school it was nearly 10 p.m.. I was fortunate to have Anna Chong to help me look after my children. Coming home as late as that, without any handphone messages (none in those days) to help ease the tension, I was really guilty. But the kids were all asleep and I was glad to be able to take my bath and settle down to some lesson preparation for the next day.
School teachers continue to carry out a lot of duties especially in a boarding school. It was a great balancing act for me I remember. Some sacrifices were made here and there and I hope my own children can understand that I often had to put my career first.
Today the hospital is no longer there . The new Miri Hospital is sited at Lopeng now.
The land along Miri Peninsular has been reclaimed and its stretch is now privately owned. Called Marina Bay this area is now for the rich and famous.
Almost 20 years have passed by since then.
Almost 20 years have passed by since then.
1 comment:
Thank you for this story. My daughter was treated in this hospital after an accident in GCM pool in 1986. We went by car using the ferry and the treatment was excellent and very fast.
We have fond memories of Miri.
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